This is Love
by Crown of Venus
Summary: AkuRoku OneShot. Roxas recieves an unexpected visit from Axel, who in turn decides to bring life to the blond's boring evening, Axel style. What will the boys do when an unexpected thunderstorm causes a blackout? Will the storm last through the night?


This is Love

**A/N:** Long story short, I was on an AkuRoku fanfiction marathon and the song 'This is Love' by Utada Hikaru came on my iTunes player while I was reading. Enjoy!

**Summary:** One-Shot. AU-ish. Roxas receives and unexpected guest (Axel) at the door during a night at what he thought was supposed to be a 'homework night'. Axel decides to take his favourite blond's mind off of the books and on to other means of passing the time, such as popcorn and movies. Boredom ensures when the power is knocked out for hours during a sudden rainstorm. Will the storm eventually die out or will it continue straight into the following morning?

Supper fluffiness! It's so sweet and so cliché you might as well book a hospital room right now for all of the vomiting you might be doing! But seriously…try to enjoy it if you can. Flamers will NOT be tolerated. Rated T for slight language and innuendo.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Axel or Roxas, they belong to Square-Enix. I do however own what happens to them in my own little world.

——†——

It was your typical Saturday evening during the summer break and like most young teenagers; Roxas Leonhart was simply lapping up all of the relaxation that his little heart could muster, before the following school year began. With his parents attending a business conference in Transverse Town, his eldest brother Leon (his birth name was Squall yet for some reason, he preferred being referred to by the first half of the family name) living in Radiant Garden, and his twin brother Sora, spending a few nights over at a friend's house, Roxas had the home all to himself...and he didn't mind it one bit. Not that Roxas was a loner or anything. He had his own circle of friends (which in reality was surprisingly large) and he loved spending time with them but every so often, he enjoyed the peace and silence that a quiet evening at home had to offer him.

As Roxas was in his room, listening to one of his favourite CDs while finishing up a few practice math problems in preparation for the High School entrance exams, the ringing of his nifty 'soccer ball phone' broke his concentration. He took a glance over at the Caller ID and smiled when he noticed who was calling him. While still holding his pencil, he cleared his throat and picked up the phone, speaking in a very drawling tone.

"Joe's Crematorium; you kill 'em, we grill 'em…" **(1)**

"Hey! That's my line!" Roxas smiled again.

"Sorry Axel, I couldn't help myself. So! What's up? Is there something I can help you with or are you just lonely?"

"Now what kind of husband would I be if I didn't leave 500 messages of love to my darling wife whom I miss everyday?"

"The kind that is practically begging for a divorce due to his unhealthy clingyness." **(2)**

"Ugh! My heart! How could you? I thought we shared something special! What did I do wrong? Tell me what I did wrong! I can change, I can change!" Roxas had to hold the phone some distance away from his ear to protect what was left of his hearing due to the red head's progressively rising voice. Axel practically felt the young blond rolling his eyes on the other end.

"I really hope that a lot people are staring at you right now and questioning your sanity."

"Well even if they were…it's not like I would care anyways."

Roxas sighed. "So like I said…what's up?"

"I'll be there in like 5 seconds!"

"Wait…wh-" and just like that, Axel hung up.

"Um…"

Without even a few seconds to spare, and with the phone still in his hand, Roxas heard the doorbell ring. He glanced towards his bedroom door with the look of surprise written all over his face.

"You've got to be joking…"

He quietly hung up his phone and made his way down to the front door. Upon opening it, he saw the expected, yet unexpected form of Axel, leaning against the doorframe with a duffle bag around his right shoulder. Roxas still couldn't believe that he was standing right in front of him, literally five seconds after he just off the phone with him.

"Yo!"

Roxas felt a nervous twinge in the pit of his stomach as he saw a track pants and tank top clad Axel giving him a cocky smirk. Things didn't get any better when he observed his older friend's lean but impressively sculpted biceps.

"U-um…hi! Um…" _Say something! Anything!_ "Gym…?" Roxas mentally kicked himself for sounding like a complete idiot.

"But of course! It's practically _the_ place to go if you ever want to look _this_ sexy." Axel flexed an arm and gave Roxas a playful wink. Roxas on the other hand couldn't help but have his face heat up with a light pink tinge. _Don't let him see. Don't let him see!_

With a slightly exaggerated throat clearing, Roxas took a few moments to regroup before retorting back at the red-head with a witty remark. Unfortunately, Axel beat him to it.

"Feeling a little hot and bothered?" Fortunately this time, Roxas didn't stutter or squeal as he did previously. He confidently stood his ground as he looked back into the grinning face of his older friend.

"Hot? Not really, as you can tell from my current attire." Axel noticed how adorable the boy looked in his navy sweats and white long-sleeved tee with navy sleeves and matching star across the chest.

"As for bothered? Yes…did you even consider taking a shower before you came here?" Roxas faked a look of disgust on his face.

Axel on the other hand seemed slightly surprised. "W-well…yes but…" He bluntly lifted up one of his arms and took a whiff, "I could have sworn that I bought 'extra strength' instead of 'regular'." Roxas sort of lost himself in a mental image involving Axel taking a shower.

"As wonderful as it is that you care about your hygiene as much as I like pointing it out, please don't sniff your pits while you're out on my front porch."

"But you just said I-"

"I was kidding bricks for brains!" Roxas sighed. "Come on get inside."

"Nice! Now if you would be so kind as to step out of the way Roxie-baby please? Your fridge is calling me…" Axel took one step in but was stopped with a hand on his chest.

"Although I was kidding about you smelling, change into regular clothes please and thank you. It would be greatly appreciated if my parents or Sora didn't come home to 'sweaty gym gear-scented' furniture."

"You're the boss!" Axel let himself in but not before ruffling Roxas' sunny locks.

——†——

Now it may have seemed a little strange for two individuals such as Axel Flare and Roxas Leonhart to be classified as 'best friends'. The massive contrasts between the two of them seemed to only add to that impression. Aside from the obvious physical differences, both boys were roughly 3 years apart from each other, with Axel just about to enter his senior year and with Roxas making his debut as a High School freshman in a couple of months. Amongst their peers, it was both odd, yet strangely refreshing to see such a friendship between two people (both boys nonetheless) on completely opposite sides of the High School age spectrum. But then again, if one asked politely, they would have discovered that the boys have been virtually inseparable since Axel was 6 and Roxas was 3 so overall, their closeness didn't really seem all that surprising.

After Axel changed into a pair of black pants and a sleeveless red hoody, Roxas served an entire plate of left over pizza between the two of them, following it up with a few cakes (from one of Roxas' favourite bakeries) for dessert and rinsing it all down with some homemade frappucinos. The boys decided to continue their evening with a few rounds of movies that Axel rented just before arriving while sharing a giant bowl of popcorn; supper just wasn't enough for the one massive garbage disposal and Roxas. They were in the middle of watching a high action-packed movie when a loud thunderclap resonated through the air. This caused the two boys to glance around the living room for a few seconds until…

"Do…do you think its-"

Roxas was interrupted when Axel started counting while staring at the wall with an unimpressed look on his face. "3…2…1…"

A second thunderclap rang through the air, which conveniently resulted in a blackout throughout the entire house.

"Aww crap…" muttered Roxas.

Just then, the once clear and silent night was overtaken by the sound of pouring rain. Both boys slowly turned their heads towards the nearest window, only to have their view of Brightstar Avenue completely obscured by the cascades of water flowing down the glass.

"Aww double crap…" muttered Axel. The boys glanced towards each other and shared a disbelieving laugh at their situation.

"Well…what should we do now? All of the interesting stuff that we could do has been temporarily shut down." asked Axel

Roxas shrugged. "I guess…the only sane thing to do would be to wait for the storm to die out…assuming it doesn't continue until next morning."

"So…if it does continue until next mo-"

"Yes…yes you can spend the night over if that's the case." Both boys felt a small spark of happiness at that comment. They were then left in a comfortable silence for a couple of seconds until Axel spoke up.

"So…got any board games?"

"First…we need to find some light." Roxas took a few moments to think before an idea popped into his head. "I'll be right back."

"Alright…"

As Axel watched the younger boy walk off, he let out a deep breath that he didn't even know he was holding.

——†——

It didn't take long before Roxas came back with one of his father's gas lanterns, which Axel found most impressive as he assumed that the boy would return with a few candles or a flashlight. And then the fun began…

…**7:30 pm…**

"You got any 5's?"

"Go fish…"

…**8:00 pm…**

"Whoa…never knew you had it in you Roxie-baby."

"Well you'd be surprised at how 'dirty' I can really be…"

"What have you done with my sweet and innocent little Roxie-baby you filthy harlot?"

"Harlot?...that's perfect! Thanks Axel!"

"Um…Roxie? You're completely missing the whole point of 'Dirty Scrabble'."

"Ok fine! Um…oh wait here we go! S-W-A-L-L-O-W…'SWALLOW!'"

Axel's left eye twitched until he took a closer glimpse at what his younger companion was doing.

"H-hey wait! You can't steal extra letters from the letter bag!"

"You can cry all you want Axel, but _nothing_ is gonna stop me from owning you in this game! Even if it means to cheat in the most obvious way imaginable!"

Axel's left eye twitched again but this time for a more competitive reason.

…**8:45 pm…**

"HA HA! Collect $200! Guess your ugly little 'Pacific Railroad' isn't going to be much help to you now is it?!"

"Just you wait…I'm not through with you yet." Roxas rolled the dice.

…**9:42 pm…**

The two boys were tossing a spongy soccer ball back and forth with Axel sitting on the floor, leaning against the window bench and Roxas sitting on one of the chairs in the open dining room.

"This is getting kind of lame…"

"Yeah…hey…you got any food that doesn't require electricity or heat to be edible?"

"Um…I think we do. Hang on let me check."

…**9:59 pm…**

"Sea!"

"Cucumber!"

"Letter!"

"Stamp!"

"Marriage!"

"Pre-nup!"

"Puppy!"

Roxas paused for a few moments. "Aww…''

"HA! You lose!"

"OH! Crap…"

"Steaming!"

…**10:16 pm…**

"…and she has gotten fat!" Axel overly stressed the word 'fat'. "UGH! Every time she bends over I feel like I'm watching a walrus floss! AHH MY EYES!" **(3)**

"AHH! MY MIND!"

…**10:43 pm…**

"H-hey! Stop moving so fast!"

"That's why they call it 'Speed' Roxie. I mean come on! How can one person suck so much even after going through the first three tries EXTRA SLOWLY while being taught at the same time?"

"I'M STILL LEARNING YOU JERK!"

…**11:15 pm…**

"Hey I remember this!"

"Yeah so do I…I was sick for a whole week because of you!"

"Aww lighten up Roxie, it's all in the past now! And besides, you gotta admit that downing an entire bucket of fries topped with gravy, melted cheese, ketchup, vinegar AND salt and pepper is quite the feat!"

"For an 8 year old Axel?!"

"All the more reason to find it impressive!"

"Argh!" Roxas flipped through a few more album pages until he found perfect blackmail material.

"Hey Axel…do you remember that time when you were 10 and believed that certain feminine hygiene products were just weird-shaped candies?"

"U-uh…I-I did?" Roxas made a sly whistle and held up the respective photo after pulling it out of its page.

"OH MY GOD! WHEN DID YOU TAKE THAT?!"

"Well…to be honest, my mother was the one who took the picture…so…"

"GIVE THAT TO ME NOW!"

"You gotta catch me first!"

"GET BACK HERE YOU LITTLE IMP!"

…**Midnight…**

The two boys had nearly exhausted themselves after a good 30 minutes of running around the house. It was a miracle that nothing had snapped in two or shattered into pieces during the whole ordeal. There were a few things that were either toppled over or left open but other than that, the house was essentially as organized as it was before the red-head arrived. They were currently passed out on the floor, panting for air with Roxas sprawled out on top of Axel, both of whom were sporting happy grins. Axel had finally managed to retrieve the incriminating picture from the speedy blond after trying to evade and weave through all of the furniture and decorations that were greatly inhibiting his ability to capture his target with ease. He took a glance down at the blond who was lying on his chest and smiled.

'_Yeah…I could get used to something like this…'_

Roxas then took that moment to look up at Axel and observe the older boy up close. He saw the slight look of surprise on the red-head's face but paid no heed to it and simply smiled gently at him.

'_He's so…'_ Roxas blinked. _'Now…it's now or never…' _Roxas cleared his throat and took a dive.

"Uh-um…Ax…el?"

"Yeah?"

"I…um…I've got so-"

"Shh…hang on a sec…" Axel paused the stuttering blond and shifted his eyes from side to side for a few moments. "Do you hear that…?"

Roxas in turn listened carefully to whatever he was supposed to be hearing. "I…I don't hear…anything."

Axel smirked at Roxas. "Exactly."

It took a few moments for Roxas to realize what Axel was getting at: to his surprise, the potential monsoon had somehow stopped. It didn't even sound like the remnants of weak drizzling were left over either. Only pure silence. Roxas smiled back at the older boy and quickly got up to his feet.

"Come on!"

Axel followed the bouncing blond towards the front door and went outside with him. Roxas basked within the crisp and damp night air as Axel watched his younger companion smile in delight.

"Roxas?"

"Yeah?"

"I-uh…"

His words were cut short when the first rays of moonlight peaked through the clouds and illuminated the partially blackened earth. Axel wasn't much of a religious person, but it was in this very moment, when he began to believe in heaven and angels. The way that the moon's pale light blanketed Roxas in an ethereal glow had rendered Axel completely speechless. To make things worse (or better, he couldn't tell) Roxas' hypnotic eyes seemed to have enhanced in their shine, brightening up from a fair sky blue to a striking sapphire blue; bearing a gentle yet mysterious otherworldly presence. That was Axel's final breaking point.

Before he could even muster up the ability to comprehend what his body was doing, the red-head speed walked his way towards the young blond, scooped the boy into his arms and planted a passionately forceful kiss on to the boy's lips. Much like Axel, Roxas' body seemed to have acted on its own accord, barely realizing what he was doing until it was too late. While Axel's hands were fiercely gripping the small of his back, Roxas' hands were tightly entangled within Axel's crimson mane; kissing the elder boy back as if there was no tomorrow.

Neither boy knew how long they were locking lips, but when they finally pulled away they couldn't help but gasp for the much needed air that their lungs had depleted them of. They were trapped in a strong silence until Roxas chose to speak up.

"W-wha…what was that…?"

Axel smirked; there was no point in denying it now. "That Roxie-baby…was one _hell_ of a kiss."

"O-oh…" Roxas bashfully smiled back. "D-did…um…did you…enjoy it?"

"You bet your sweet ass I did!" Roxas blushed in embarrassment, yet he laughed as well.

"What about you? Did you enjoy it too?"

"Me? OH! Um…well…yeah…y-yes…I enjoyed it. A lot actually."

"Good…because, I kind of want to do it again…and again…and maybe a few more hundred times after that."

"Hehe…well…what are you waiting for? An invitation?"

"Oh please Roxie. Just looking at you practically screams 'do me'. Now shut up and let me make out with you."

Axel was about to plant another kiss on Roxas but he was stopped when the blond pressed a few fingers to his lips.

"H-huh?"

"Hold up for a second Axel. Before you continue…I…well…I'd like to know something first."

"Uh…alright…" Axel pulled back a bit and gently tilted Roxas' chin up so that he could properly look into the eyes of his new lover. "What's wrong?"

"Oh nothing! No, nothing's wrong…but…it's just that…what…is this?"

"This…?" Axel raised a confused eyebrow.

"This…" Roxas pointed between Axel and himself. "Well…us…to be specific."

"Oh…This…?" Axel gently held Roxas' hands in his own. "This Roxie-baby? This…is Love."

Roxas looked back with another shy smile. "Love…"

"Yeah…love…got it memorized?" **(4)**

Roxas couldn't help but laugh at Axel's catchphrase. "Yeah, yeah…committed to memory and all that it implies."

"Good…now…let's take this inside…I'm starting to get cold."

"Me too."

Axel scooped Roxas up into his arms and carried him back into the Leonhart household, bridal-style. Axel gently nuzzled the bridge Roxas' nose with his own in a semi Eskimo kiss, which Roxas gladly returned back.

"Oh and by the way? You belong to me now you little imp. And no one's going to change that."

"I wouldn't have it any other way."

"Good…" Just before Axel and Roxas were about to enter through the front door, the red head's bluntness came back once again.

"I hope your parents bought soundproof walls…"

Axel consequently spent the rest of his night in the basement.

FIN

——†——

**A/N:** Didn't that just make you sick to your stomach after all of the repetition, the cliché descriptions and the gooey gooey gooey lovey goo? I'd be surprised if ANYONE reviews this story. Well…I hope I didn't bore all of you readers too much with this story. I just wanted to have a shot at my own AkuRoku fanfic. Le sigh…I love this pairing. Catch ya later!

**(1)** I actually heard one of my co-workers say this little phrase after picking up the phone. I nearly wet myself laughing; realizing that hoity-toity engineers actually HAVE a sense of humour.

**(2)** This little phrase was inspired from a quote from the movie Sweet Home Alabama, starring Reese Witherspoon and Josh Lucas.

"_Now what kinda wife would I be if I didn't pick up after my husband?"_

"_The kind that don't live here!"_

**(3)** Inspired from the Family Guy episode: _'I take thee Quagmire'_ where Stewie referenced Peter's 'Daisy Dukes Phase'.

**(4)** I couldn't help myself! XD


End file.
